Machine for making garment hangers of wire



June 13, 1939. D. s. BOYLES MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT HANGERS OF WIRE 5 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed May 15,. 1958 l l F I I glwwww 0.5. Bog es ,w OWN/1on1 Vfdn June 13, 1939. D. s. BOYLES MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT HANGERS OF WIRE Filed May 13, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 g i i y a a a {,1 a a g g a 0 1 o o g \g N N Q; +H N m L *5 0.15. 505225, w 0mm VJ June 13, 1939. D. s. BOYLES 2,162,669

MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT HANGERS OF WIRE Filed May 15, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 68 4 56 59 ea a :LvumM/ow D. 5. 5 0y! es CU .Ul hzkvwm m m June 13, 1939. 5. BQYPES 2,162,669

MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT HANGERS OF WIRE Filed May 13, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Qwumvtom fl 0.5. Boy/es,

June 13, 1939. D BOYLES 2,162,669-

MACHINE FOR MAKING GARMENT HANGERS 0F WIRE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 15, 1938 Patented June 13, 1939 E MACHINE i on MAKlNG GARMENT HANGERS F WIRE David S. Boyles, Rock Hill, S. 0., assignor to National Wire Goods Manufacturing Company, Rock Hill, S. 0., a partnership Application May 13, 1938, Serial No. 207,834

, Claims. o1. 140-71 The invention relates to machines for making garment hangers of wire, embodying certain improvements upon the machines of my Patents Number 1,771,951, dated July 29, 1930, Number 5 1,941,430, dated December 26-, 1933, and Number 2,059,771, dated November 3, 1936, said patents being referred to where necessary for complete understanding of the invention, an object of the invention being to provide certain improvements in the means for rotating the twister shaft intermittently and progressively in the same direction in twisting the end bends of successive hangers and for rotating said shaft slightly reversely intermediate successive forward rotations thereof to allow for back spring of the twisted end bends.

Another object is to provide certain improvements in the means for stacking the delivered hangers. Another object is to decrease the weight and size of the machine, speed up its operation,

render the operation more positive and reliable, lessen the wear on the moving parts and increase the life of the machine. Other objects and ad'- vantages will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as set forthin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, with parts in section, and the carrier loop in fully raised position to deliver the hanger to the stacking means. v a

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine with the table whereon the wire blanks are fed removed, and parts broken away.

Figure 2a; is a sectional detail view illustrating the operation of the slides for pressing the lowe bar of the hanger inwardly.

Figure 3 is a rear end elevation ofthe machine, with the carrier loop of the hanger delivery means fully raised to deliver the hanger to the stacking means. I

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Figure 2,

with parts removed.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of the hanger delivery means, parts being broken away.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the hanger stacking means, the three positions of the hanger taken in said stacking and the carrier loop for the hanger being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 8 is a detail plan view of the same, omitting the dotted line positions stated.

Figure 9 is a detail plan view showing the ends 55 of the wire bending levers in closed-position, and

the hook forming head engaging the longer of the end bends of the hanger preliminary to bending the same into hook form.

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the hook forming head rotated to form the hook.

Figure 11 is a detail view of the hanger.

In these drawings, the main frame l of the machine has supported thereon a slightly inclined table 2 for the wire blanks 3, previously cut to the proper length and fed along said table into 10 a vertical slot of a downward extension 4, said slot being adapted to receive a plurality or stack of said blanks which rests upon one or the other of two reciprocatory blades 6, carried by oppositely working slides, said blades being alternately thrust forward and retracted from beneath the stack of blanks to cause said blanks to be successively dropped one at a time upon bending levers l3 to be described, said levers working horizontally'and being fulcrumed at their inner 0 ends at l5.

The. free ends of the levers I 3 are provided withright angle grooves or notches l6,l6, and in the operation of said levers the end portions of the wire blanks are engaged by the grooves l 6 andbent 25 around lugs 28 of the framing and towards each other thereby forming the rounded shoulder bends A of the hanger. In this movement the end portions of the wire blank are caused to cross each other, and to facilitate said crossing a 'ver- 30 tical post I02 of the framing is adapted to engage one of the wire end portions to retard and tension the same, further movement of said levers causing said end portion to escape from said post and snap past the other wire end portion. In the 35 further operation of the levers l3, a thin blade 38 carried by the framing is adapted to enter the said notches l6 of the free end of said levers, and

an upright post or projection 4| carried by the framing is adapted to abut against the aforesaid 40 crossed wire end portions, thereby forcing these end portions home within the notches l6,l6' of said levers to form the upper bar of the hanger which includes the obtuse anglebends B, and to form the right angle bends C and the parallel straight end bends D,

In order to press the lower bar of the hanger inwardly so that this lower bar will be straight rather than bowed in the finished hanger, reciprocatory slides 29 are adapted to be thrust forward to engage said lower bar adjacent the bends A thereof.

The hanger formed as stated remains clamped in position by the parts referred to, during engagement of the twister head with the spaced parallel straight end bends D and during operation of the hook forming means to be described.

In accomplishing said twisting, a longitudinal twister shaft 56 having a twister head 51 is moved back and forth to bring said head into and out of engagement with the end bends D of successive hangers, and is rotated intermittently and progressively in the same direction in twisting the end bends of successive hangers and rotated slightly reversely intermediate successive forward rotations thereof to allow for the back spring of the released twisted end bends by means to be described.

During the retraction of the twister shaft and its head, a hook forming means is brought upwardly to position to engage the end portion of the longer of the end bends D, said means comprising a rotary head 64, carrymg upper projections 65 and 66, said head being rotatedcounter-clockwise approximately one half around to form the hook.

At the same time that the rotary head 64 is brought upwardly to position as stated, an abutment device 68 is brought to bear against the twisted shank or stem of the hanger to hold said stem in position during the hook formation.

The rotary hook forming head being retracted and the wire bending levers I3 being also retracted, the hanger is released, being then gripped by the delivery means to be described The step by step operation of the parts comprises the delivery of the wire blank, the operation of the wire bending levers l3, the operation of the twister and the operation of the hook forming means, in the order stated, the delivery means referred to being actuated at the proper time, a complete hanger being made and delivered for each rotation of the main drive shaft of the machine. The means for operating the wire bending levers holds said levers in closed position during the twisting and hook forming operations.

The hangers being formed as stated are picked up from horizontal position, moved through an arc of ninety degrees to vertical position into engagement with stacking means to be described and released The delivery mechanism comprises lever .jaws 85, fulcrumed at 8.6 centrally of a carrier loop 81, pivoted at 88, means being provided to open and thereafter to release the jaws as they a!- rive at down position, whereupon said jaws will grip the twisted stem of the hanger through action of a spring .to be described, and as said jaws arrive at their uppermost position in engaging the hanger with the stacking means to be described, to again open and release said jaws. A rock lever '93 engaging bearings 9.4 of said carrier loop 81 has .a crank lug 91 engaging aslide 38 working between said jaws 85, said slide having a retracting spring 98", a toggle joint 99 connecting said lever jaws, and said rock lever being adapted to engage abutments and 9.6 at the times stated to thereby operate said slide and open said jaws against the tension of said spring and thereafter in the return movement of the parts to release said jaws which are then closed through the medium of said spring and said toggle joint.

The stacking means comprises an inclined rack bar N10, positioned to engage one end portion only of the loop of a delivered hanger, a U- shaped stop member Ill-I being adapted to engage the delivered hanger to prevent further forward movement thereof, said hanger upon engagement with said rack bar and with said stop member, falling by gravity through an arc of ninety degrees approximately, upon said rack bar as a center to depend lengthwise from the same, a stop bar I03 being adapted to engage the free end of the hanger to limit the downward movement thereof and prevent oscillation, the hangers so delivered and positioned sliding forwardly by gravity upon the inclined rack bar and being stacked thereon.

Operating means for the machine is provided as follows, including gear means comprising Geneva gears for rotating the twister shaft intermittently and progressively in the same direction twisting the end bends of successive hangers together, said Geneva gears being adapted to rotate the twister shaft slightly reversely'in-termediate successive forward rotations thereof.

A motor I04 has drive connection I95 with a transverse shaft 1-06 located at one end portion of the machine and whereon is located a cam J01, a transverse shaft I08 at the opposite end of the machine being provided with a cam I09 and having drive connections III) with a longitudinal shaft 111 extending approximately the full length of the machine and having drive connection H2 with the first named transverse shaft I 06, the main operating levers H3, and H4 one at each end of the machine being upstanding and fulcrumed at their lower ends, said levers having each a roller bearing respectively on the related portions of said cams and working against the tension of coiled springs H5 and H6 which hold the .levers engaged with the cams.

The lever .I I3 at the rear of the machine has rdrive linkconnection III with the horizontal slide 11 working upon guides l8 of the framing and having links 18 connecting thesame with the wire bending levers 1.3, said connection HT embodying a coiled spring H8, yieldable in case of jammi g of the machine to prevent injury thereto. I v

In order to operate the slides controlling the feed of the wire blanks, a vertical shaft H9 has drive connection I20 with the longitudinal shaft Ill and drive connection I2I with an upper short shaft l22,,whereon is located a cam I23 against which bears a rollerof a crank arm I24 of a rock shaft I25, whereon is located rock lever I26 having link connections I2'I with the aforesaid slides. The slides 29 engaging the lower bar of the hanger are reciprocated by means of a rock shaft I28, having depending crank arms I29, engaging said slides, said rock shaft having a crank arm 13!] having a terminal roller engaging a cam I3I, also located on the short shaft I22.

The twister shaft '56 is reciprocated through the lever H4 'at the forward end ofthe machine, said lever being in duplicate and the upper ends of the levers having each a pin I32, engaging a grooved collar 133 on the twister shaft.

The longitudinal shaft II I has gear connection I3! with the twister shaft 5], embodying Geneva gears 135, I36, which latter will rotate the twister shaft intermittently and progressively in the same direction in twisting the end bends of successive hangers, said Geneva gears being adapted to rotate the twister shaft slightly reversely intermediate successive forward rotations thereof to for backspring of the released twisted end bends of the hangers, this adaptation being provided for by an eccentric cut-away portion 131 of thedriver of said gears, located adjacent one end of the clearance space I38 for the projecting arms of the driven of said gears.

The rotary hook forming head 64 is mounted at the upper end of a vertical shaft 61, said shaft being moved upwardly by a cam 10 on the longitudinal shaft II.I engaging a roller of a lever H, a coiled spring 63 holding said lever engaged with said cam and retracting said vertical shaft to down position with the twister head out of action. The shaft 61 of the hook forming head is oscillated by means of a pinion 86, keyed to said shaft and having supporting bearings in the framing adapted to permit the vertical reciprocation of said. shaft, said pinion being engaged by segment gear 8|, in the form of a lever, the tail arm of which has pivotal connection with a link 83, the other end of said link having connection with a lever 11 operated by means of a cam 16 also located on the longitudinal shaft II I. The twister shaft 56 instead of being mounted upon a reciprocatory carriage as in certain of said patents, has spaced bearings 54 in the framing.

The abutment means 68 aforesaid is carried at one end of a lever 68', having link connection 68", with said lever H.

The carrier loop 81 for the lever jaws 85 of the delivery means for the hangers is operated as follows:

Crank arm I34 on the transverse shaft I08 at the forward end of the machine has a rod connection I35 with a crank arm I36 loose on the pivot shaft 88 of said carrier loop, a crank arm I31 overlying said arm I36 being fast on said pivot shaft 88, a coiled spring I38 being interposed between the free ends of said arms I36 and I31, and arm I36 having a loop I39 engaging over arm I31, so that during one direction of movement arm I36 will through the medium of said coiled spring I38 push arm I31 upwardly to operate said carrier loop also upwardly and during the opposite direction of movement arm I36 will through the medium of said loop pull arm I31 downwardly to 0perate said carrier loop also downwardly, said coiled spring being yieldable in case of jamming of the machine to prevent injury thereto.

In the operation of the machine, the wire blanks are fed alongtab-le 2 and through vertical slot of extension 4 of said table, the stack of blanks in said slot resting upon one or the other of reciprocatory blades 6 carried by the oppositely working slides, the blanks being dropped successively one at a time upon the horizontally working bending levers I3, the end portions of the wire blanks in the operation of said levers being bent-around lugs 28 of the framing and towards each other to form the rounded shoulder bends A of the hangers. In this movement the end portions of the wire blanks are caused to cross each other, the vertical post I 82 of the framing engaging one of the wire end portions of each blank to retard and tension the same, further movement of said levers causing said wire end portion to escape from said post and snap past the other wire end portion. In the further operation of levers I3, a thin blade 38 of the framing enters notches of the free ends of said levers, and post M of the framing abuts against the crossed wire end portions, thereby forcing said wire end portions home within said notches of levers I3 to form the upper bar of the hanger which includes obtuse angle bends B and to form the right angle bends C and the parallel straight end bends D of the hanger. The lower bar of the hanger is pressed inwardly and kept straight by' the reciprocatory slides 29.

In the'twisting together of the parallel straight end bends D, the hanger remains in position clamped by the parts referred to and the reciprocatory and rotary twister head 51 engages the end bends D of successive hangers, said twister head being rotated intermittently and progressively in the same direction in twisting the end bends of successive hangers and slightly reversely intermediate successive forward rotations to allow for backspring of the released twisted end bends. During the retraction of the twister shaft and its head, the hook forming means comprising the vertically reciprocatory and rotary head 64 is brought upwardly to engage the longer of the wire end bends D, and at the same time the vertically reciprocatory abutment device 68 bears against the twisted shank or stem of the hanger to hold the same in position during the formation of the hanger hook.

The rotary hook forming head 64 being retracted and the wire bending levers, twister head, etc., being retracted, the hanger is released, being then gripped by the delivery means.

The spring lever jaws of the delivery mechanism pick up the completed hangers one at a time from horizontal position and deliver the same in vertical position to the stacking means, said jaws being opened and released for the purposes stated. The hangers being delivered one at a time to the inclined rack bar of the stacking means so as to engage one end portion of the hanger loop with said bar and being brought to a stop on said rack bar, fall through an arc of ninety degrees upon said rack bar as a center to depend lengthwise therefrom, stop means en-- gaging the free end of the depending hanger to limit the downward movement and prevent oscillation, the hangers then sliding by gravity along said rack bar for stacking purposes.

I claim:

1. In a machine for making garment hangers of wire, wherein there are provided means for feeding successive wire blanks, means for bending successive blanks into form having parallel straight end bends, and means for twisting the end bends of successive hangers together comprising a rotary reciprocatory shaft and means for reciprocating the same; gear means comprising Geneva gears for rotating said shaft intermittently and progressively in the same direction in twisting the end bends of successive hangers, the concentric surface of the driver of said Geneva gears being provided with an eccentric cutaway portion adjacent one end of the clearance space for the projecting arms of the driven of said gears to thereby rotate said shaft slightly reversely intermediate successive forward rotations thereof.

2. In a machine for making garment hangers of wire, wherein there are provided means for feeding successive wire blanks, means for bending the successive blanks into form having parallel straight end bends, means for twisting the end bends of successive hangers together, means for bending the longer of the end bends of successive hangers into hook form, and delivery means for grasping the horizontal hangers, moving them to approximately vertical position and releasing the same; stacking means for the hangers comprising a member positioned to engage one end portion only of the loop of a delivered hanger whereby said hanger is caused to fall by gravity upon said member as a center to depend lengthwise therefrom.

3. In a machine for making garment hangers of wire, wherein there as provided means for feeding successive wire blanks, means for bending the successive blanks into form having parallel straight end bends, means for twisting the end bends of successive hangers together, means for bending the longer of the end bends of successive hangers into hook form, and delivery means for grasping successive horizontal hangers, moving them to approximately vertical position and releasing the same; stacking means for the hangers comprising -a rack bar positioned to engage one end only of the loop of a delivered hanger, and a stop for the delivered hanger to prevent further forward movement thereof, whereby the hanger is caused to fall by gravity upon said rack bar as a center to escape said .stop and depend lengthwise from said rack bar, said rack bar being inclined whereby the hangers will move therealong by gravity.

4. In a machine for making garment hangers of wire, wherein there are provided means for feeding successive wire blanks, means for bending the successive blanks into form having parallel straight end bends, means for twisting the end bends of successive hangers together, means for bending the longer of the end bends of successive hangers into hook form, and delivery means for grasping successive horizontal hangers, moving them to approximately vertical position and releasing the same; stacking means comprising a member positioned to engage one end portion only of the loop of a delivered hanger whereby the hanger is caused to fall by gravity upon said member as a center to depend lengthwise therefrom, and -a stop to limit the movement and check oscillation of the hanger.

5. In a machine for making garment hangers of wire, wherein there are provided means for feeding successive wire blanks, means for bending the successive blanks into form having parallel straight end bends, means for twisting the end bends of successive hangers together, means for bending the longer of the end bends of successive hangers into hook form, and delivery means for grasping the successive horizontal hangers, moving them to approximately vertical position and releasing the same; stacking means comprising a rack bar positioned to engage one end only of the loop of a delivered hanger, a stop for the delivered hanger to prevent forward movement thereof whereby the hanger is caused to fall by gravity upon said rack bar as a center to escape said stop and depend lengthwise from the rack bar, and a stop to limit the movement and check oscillation of the hanger, said rack bar being inclined whereby the hangers will move therealong by gravity.

DAVID S. BOYLES. 

